Second Chances
by Alpas
Summary: The famous before aren't so famous now. Those heroes you adore and those bad guys you hate are given a second chance. Congratulations Adonis! You're alive!
1. Queen Pasiphae

**Second Chances**

 **Summary: The famous before aren't so famous now. Those heroes you adore and those bad guys you hate are given a second chance. Congratulations Adonis! You're alive!**

|•|•|•|

 _Queen Pasiphae was the royalty from Crete, a manipulative ruler who shared her husband's ruthlessness. Yet, somehow rebirth made her a new body and mind in the form of a fifteen year old son of Ares: Kyle Aaron Ferrer is a menace, the teacher's greatest source of migraines and the school's very own grinch._

|•|•|•|

"I'm watching you."

Aaron sat up feeling overwhelmed at the three-worded threat from his dreams. It never stopped and his nightmares would always leave him in cold sweat and stiff muscles as if the whole time he spent sleeping tensed, rigid and steady like a log. He wiped his brows using the back of his hand and panted heavily, letting the cold January breeze fill his lungs as he took a minute to forget the nightmare. After all, a new day signifies a new beginning - he said so to himself.

The bed Aaron used was an old rickety piece of wood while it may still hold a semblance of elegance and classic beauty, the boy considered it shitty beyond this day's standards. Perhaps in another time the bed maybe of use to dukes or even kings but for now it served three foster children huddled together for space, warmth and comfort.

He sighed when realization took place that today was the day Aaron's social worker decided to transfer him into a new foster family: the Ordinario's and Aaron couldn't bring himself to feel anything more than shame that he always, without fail, ended up in a family whose surname was nothing but ironic. His current family, the Stronghold's had the the most number of hospital visits in Fairbanks, Alaska and the raven haired boy, while not the smartest kid in the state, knew for a fact that his new family would definitely not be as ordinary as their name.

Correction. Not just shame. Apparently dread made its nasty way into his mind twitching his pale lips down into an ugly frown.

"What in the world could bring that face up early in the morning?" Aaron's russet-colored eyes travelled to the sides where a tall, gangly man leaned by the door. Jake Stronghold, his foster father, a man with a motor mouth that could rival the most experienced debater in history for how quick he spoke drained Aaron's limited energy. "Today's a big day sunshine! Try to liven up a bit. C'mon-" The idiot started to coaxed, a bright smile plastered on his face as if Aaron would be excited at the prospect of moving into another location after six months. "- there's huge breakfast Therese made downstairs."

Beside him, the spongebob comforter flew revealing short, blonde twins. One was born with wide ears while the other had a cleft palate.

"N'well n'what are n'we n'waitin for?" Mike asked, he was already slipping his slippers on to race his brother for breakfast. Mark responded by grabbing his twin's shoulder length hair back hard earning him a wince from the other and a snort from the teen.

"What are you teaching them Aaron Kyle?" His benefactor had his arms crossed looking completely like a disappointed father except that Jake got his name wrong.

' _Strong in body and mind my ass!'_

 _"_ It's Kyle Aaron dumbass." He replied with an eye roll, "I've been here since August and the best goodbye gift you'll ever give is by getting my name right!"

|•|•|•|

Hades tried to keep his glare to a minimum, just enough for the demigod to feel his ominous presence, not quite strong that would leave him paranoid to the point of insanity. No, Hades wanted it to be like a shroud of shadows observing Aaron's every movement as he climbed out of bed and made his way down for hearty meal. The god wanted his preys alert - at least giving him a challenge while mentally counting the days they still have - because no matter how much he desired for those damned sinners and spoiled heroes to remain in his realm the deed was already done. The spirits were given another life and if someone asked the god of death what rebirth is he'd vehemently reply: "It's what they think they deserve."

As the god of the underworld and the entities within his dominion, Hades deserved the right to choose who needed a life above ground, not the fates and certainly not a glorified mortal who so happened to get a lucky spot in Elysium.

Despite all of this, he couldn't tear a hair out from demigods just because he felt like it. Those blasted ancient laws kept him bound not to interfere.

However, while his being wasn't praised for wisdom Hades could be as clever as Athena. He will wait and watch.

|•|•|•|

 **Hello friends! I had this story at the back of my head for some time now. It hasbeen persistent and won't stop nagging me until this is created. I initially wanted this to be a one shot be decided against it and maybe have a little fun by making this an OC fic. So SYOC now while I'm busy for the next few weeks.**

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Rules:

1) If you are interested in submitting PM me and I will give you the form.

2) Once I have given you the form. Please fill it with details and don't just give me the basics because I'll really have a hard time understanding your character as a real person.

3) Reviews are for commenting not for sending a profile of your character. Oks?


	2. Alcestis and Achilles

**Second Chances**

|•|•|•|

 _Love brought death to Alcestis in the form of poison. Love brought life to Alice when she fluttered her eyes open and saw the world._

|•|•|•|

Alice started her day with a huge smile. Her lips were almost breaking her face in half in an excruciating attempt of befriending the so called top sirens of the prestigious Johnsworth Highschool: Geneveive, Carolyn and Paulina. Her quest hinted that one of them was a demigod of splendor and mirth, though if Alice had the chance to comment the trio would be Harpy, Banshee and Parakeet for how they behave in front of her. They were nothing but doom and gloom. 'So much for being the happy child.' Alice thought to herself. It strained her cheeks greatly as she kept that stupid smile on waiting rather impatiently for the girls to finish whatever gossip Parakeet read on her rhinestone studded phone.

Banshee replied, her voice high in surprise almost breaking the highest note, "Oh my gosh. Tony still kept Leah's bracelet after all this time?"

"He treasures it like some kind of a jewel." Harpy said, "I mean what's so special in that junk?"

Alice cleared her throat loud enough for the three cheerleaders to bite their tongue and start paying Alice her much needed attention. "Hi! My name's Alice Douglas." She chuckled out an introduction before getting straight to business, "I'm the person Natasha talked to about taking this squad's photos?"

They eyed her incredulously from the tips of her blonde hair to her toes. There was a slight frown marring their perfectly powdered faces and it made Alice gulped down the growing tension in her chest. She felt as if she was an antique for display.

"So." Harpy drawled the vowel in a lazy tone and Alice couldn't understand if it was a question or something else. A huge part of her bet her money on the later because after a while Parakeet repeated, "So... so what?"

"So where's your camera?" Harpy pointed out.

Her hand reached for her backpack and revealed a modern looking polaroid. While it's true that a digital SLR camera produced better quality pictures, Alice could not have one. It will only attract more monsters on her behalf. She failed to see how a piece of electronic could enhance her demigod scent but she concluded that the more modern a gadget is the better her smell becomes. Fortunately for Alice, the only tech she own didn't cause her much grief except now that she had to cooperate if she wanted to complete her quest.

"You're going to take pictures with that?" Harpy asked, her eyebrows were raised in disbelief as if her limited brain cells malfunctioned at the thought of polaroid. Seriously, she was acting as if she'd never seen one before.

"Well... Yeah. Natasha wanted pictures that would look great on her album." Her defensive stance didn't make the three lessen their doubts regarding her beloved camera. "It's got a great filter that would go well with her style."

"...right." Banshee's voice somewhat mellowed a little bit but it didn't make the matters better.

Alice pursed her dry lips and loaded a film into her camera. "Here, I'll show you." She brushed her hair to the sides and immediately lifted her camera into her line of sight. It gave Alice the right amount of satisfaction when the suddent click of her gadget went off as lights flashed to gather their surprised, unexpected looks.

"No fair! We weren't ready yet!" The screeching voice of Banshee rang Alice's poor eardrums as the other two complained. If she managed to make her way out of this place with her hearing intact she will treat herself into a nice, quiet scenery. No more quests for Chiron. And that's a promise.

The film that slided out off her camera was gray but if someone would look closely there would be outlines of people. Three of which were currently demanding for another shot, yet as more colours begin to appear a black blurry figure stood by the window.

|•|•|•|

 _The gods were a jealous bunch of children whose immaturity surpassed a babe in terms of temper tantrum, Adonis concluded. He died not in the glory of war but by the hands of a certain Huntress yet his thread regained its shine when a child of Aphrodite breathed in life._

|•|•|•|

Ian ran as fast as his legs could. The sounds of hollowed barking never seemed to soften, in fact it worsened when his ears caught more.

He hadn't got a single millisecond running for his life to utter 'Shit' at the unpleasant position he found himself in. The people around him didn't help his matters anymore since moments ago when Ian cried for help his classmates laughed at the site of him afraid of 'little corgis'.

' _Those are NOT corgis'_ He wanted to argue but as the giant, mean and aggressive hounds chased him, almost biting his heels, Ian got his priorities straightened up pronto.

Graduating college was his life-long dream. Ian frequently imagined himself being in a stage, congratulated by many and handed a diploma of excellence though he couldn't do that if his body is six feet below the ground! That is... if the dogs decided to leave a piece of him intact for the police to identify.

...on second thought. Maybe it was better than the embarrassing headlines flashing before his mind's eye: Highschool Teen Eaten By Puppies!

"Duck!" Someone called for him and Ian, even if his life wasn't ending like he envisioned, crouched down and prayed for a swift death.

Seconds later he found himself covered in gold glitters. As strange as his day started, it wasn't finished when the monsters let out a deep throaty growl. Whatever his savior had done, it did nothing but aggravate them.

"Note to self: never follow monsters." The girl shook her head, her long curly blonde hair followed her movements and it mesmerised Ian how she managed to stand tall against those beasts. The bow she held had arrows notched and ready to aim.

The bigger hound barked. Its aggression was turning its saliva thick and there were bubbles lining the edges of its mouth - much like how a rabid dog would be and it was a reminder that this situation could get bloodier with two people involved.

"Don't just stand there." She hissed at Ian. "Help me."

"W-what should I do?" Ian stammered a weak reply. His eyes went from the lovely lady and back to the monster who now eyed him challengingly. Part of him would rather let the lady do the work, since she could very much so handle the fight. The other nastier one would like to dart away from this mess and hopefully lose the dogs in the process but his morals wouldn't let him do the deed. "Do I-Do I-Do I what?!"

A knife - no, a dagger was thrown at Ian's prone form as if silently telling him to _'put yourself together and fight with me'_ while she rushed forward with a clear intent to kill. Somehow his body moved at its own accord, grabbing the weapon with a renewed energy thanks to adrenaline running in his veins.

The beast bellowed a deep cry of anger, exposing its sharp canines and run straight for him.

Ian's fear for death went back. His hands shook and his face was probably drained of blood, however he knew he couldn't stand there waiting for teeth to rip him apart.

It wasn't in slow motion but it felt like it when Ian dodged left.

The next moment was a blank for him, the muscles of his arm circled around the dog in a futile attempt to lose its balance.

' _Not enough'_ his mind whispered and Ian threw all of his strength to roll the monster onto its back.

A cry of pain escaped his lips. His pants felt burning and wet and it scared him. It scared him so much that he prayed to whoever was listening to bless him with courage.

Before its claws rip his torso, Ian brought the dagger up - celestial bronze met sunlight - and angrily swung down.

Golden glitter exploded into his face like in those surprise birthday parties his classmates seemed to love and Ian couldn't help but yelp at the absurdity of it. He expected blood.

As the excitement faded, reality sunk in.

He almost died today.

He killed a dog, no a monster!

And the gold dust that layered the hallway evaporated.

' _How?!'_ His brain questioned.

There was no denying that all of this was one crazy, corgi-induced nightmare especially when Ian's savior stoop down to look at him in the eyes.

At the back of his head, he lightly commented how gorgeous her eyes were. It was a shade of purple but paler, Ian squinted to observe more and noted it was lilac.

"-said are you okay?" The girl asked while shaking his shoulders to wake Ian from whatever state of shock he was in. "Hey! Can you hear me?"

"Are your eyes real?" Ian bluttered out, "Cuz' I'm havin a hard time believing it."

The girl pulled back, expecting a different response but gained another weird one instead.

"I mean." Ian shrugged extruding an aura of nonchalance, "It complements you. Unusual but not unattractive."

Her cheeks blushed red reaching up to her ears and darted her eyes away from Ian's. "Looks like you're okay. I'm glad you aren't freaking out like other demigods I know."

Ian was quiet for a minute, his earlier confusion came back. Half of him stayed transfixed at the way her eyes appeared to be sculpted by the finest artist because damn those were perfect, the other half repeated 'demigod' again and again.

He eventually won back his voice.

"Shut up!"

|•|•|•|

 **Hello friends! It is I bringing you a Alice Mae Douglas, daughter of Dionysus and Ian Perez, son of Aphrodite! I really enjoyed writing these two but the next chapter will be a challenge for me to write. Hopefully I'll finish it within a week.**

 **SYOC is still still open! PM me for details and don't forget to leave a review.**

 **Follow this story and stay tuned for more!**


	3. Ajax and Perseus

**Second Chances**

 **Summary: The famous before aren't so famous now. Those heroes you adore and those bad guys you hate are given a second chance. Congratulations Adonis! You're alive!**

|•|•|•|

 _When Thanatos saw his newborn son, he knew death would follow him everywhere._

|•|•|•|

"You again?" Tim asked looking over at the female who stepped out from the shadows. She wore her long hair in a braid this time.

They were in a spacious room with tall windows of intricate designs easily providing a view of the clear blue waters outside and trees dancing with the winds. Lights from the afternoon sun shone within and even without the help of it, he would still notice that strange posture of hers where the right side was favored more so than her left.

Tim refused to comment knowing all too well that her body simply compensated from the lack of her arm. Nevertheless, that was not what got his attention. The eyes the girl sported were even stranger - it was unblinking, glassy and it didn't show much emotion unlike those in Hanging Gardens. These eyes met nothing.

"I'll bet you're the same man I met at Mumbai." She dared to speak, after the last time they saw each other - they were so close to ripping one another's guts off their cavity, and it looked like the same thing will occur again. "Surprised to see me?"

"No. Why are you here?"

She shrugged. "Don't know."

Apparently her answer did not satisfy Tim's growing curiousity. They had little to zero interaction going on before, so his chance to gain even a little bit of information was lost when the two exchanged fists - their weapons remained in the land of reality, to his utter disappointment - Tim had to amend that, but the girl was being unhelpful and running his patience thin.

With his arms crossed in mild annoyance, he asked "Who are you?"

There was an ugly snort coming from a lovely lady like her before she replied in an aggravated tone, "You ask too much questions. Whatever happened to tall, broody and mysterious?"

It wasn't everyday where people refer to him as such, and to Tim's surprise it irked him in great lengths. So he snapped a question instead of answering her. "Whatever happened to your eyes?"

"Got a problem with my lack of sight?" She growled, her lips curled in displeasure showing off her pearly white teeth to the rays of the unmoving sun.

Tim would have been intimidated if those canines were sharp and long, that kind where it screamed danger.

"I don't have a problem with your eyes. I could care less about it." He rolled his eyes heavenward, exasperated, an act unseen by the girl. She unknowingly admitted she's blind and now she seemed angry for no reasons other than Tim being her current object of hate. "What's bothering me is that you're in my dreams. And this is the second time it happened."

It seemed like the unknown girl was bringing out the worst in him. That was the most lengthy sentence Tim spoke since he decided to wander around the country.

Correction. This was the most lengthy conversation he ever had.

He mentally shrugged off the voice telling him how he liked someone to talk to once in a while.

"You think I wanted to be in your fucking head?" She hissed out venomously.

"I think you're wasting both of our time."

"And I think you're wasting your breath."

|•|•|•|

 _As the son of Zeus, Perseus walked on the path of prominence. People looked up to him. When they hear his name, they'd shout "hero". Abigale is nothing like him._

|•|•|•|

It was ages ago since somebody decided to approach Ice Lady.

Being born blind made her the subject of bullying in school, and losing an arm in battle created a distance between her fellow campers when the god of fire himself gifted her prothetics. As a consequence, it painted a target on her back for jealous demigods. Especially from the Hephaestus cabin.

People tend to avoid Abigale since then. Not wanting to humiliate themselves in battle. Some just want to stray away from her space leaving her in quiet company of cold air. It earned her the moniker of Ice Lady.

She couldn't quite remember when was the last time her mouth fired insults after insults to another person. Primary grade seemed like the furthest memory she could recall and that was when an irate teacher told her to sit down and explain.

Yet this guy, her dream-mate, an antisocial bat who had a stick up his ass... his annoyingly direct way of having a conversation made Abigale, regrettably, albeit, comfotable.

Even for just a moment. Even without her gifts.

While it was true that if it weren't for this dream, she would have her robotic eyes back and sleeping peacefully in Camp Half-Blood. No worries there. However the darkness of not having sight reminded Abigale of the days she spent alone.

She already saw him since the first time they met.

She wanted to see him again. Alas, not everyone could have what they desire.

"What? Giving me the silent treatment now?" She asked, imagining how the guy would react. Will he stay stoic and composed before his face would crumble in irritation? Or have his eyebrows drawn in a tight line and ultimately trying to figure her out.

No reply was offered just as she espected. The silence remained, but it didn't stop Abigale from feeling unjustified at the circumstances. Words, bitingly bitter, would have been spoken if it weren't for her self control. The guy still had his senses, complete and at the advantage. Abigale, on the other hand, lost her ability to see (a situation she disliked but could deal with) and her left arm. Should they end up going for a fight... even a child could tell she'd be wiped off the floor in less than a minute.

It brought fiery hot anger into her veins, however she remained calm. She had too. A brawl was not her intention, it never was. What happened in Mumbai was an accident, though a brutal one that left them sore and with a pounding headache upon waking up.

"Where are we anyway?" Abigale asked once again.

"Lightner Museum." Was his short explanation and Abigale nodded, a gesture she hoped the guy understood as a sign to 'go on, continue' because she had no clue where that place was.

Unfortunately, it felt as if he wasn't going to provide any more details of their location.

Tight ass.

Next question then.

"Do you have a name?" The label 'dream-mate' did not appeal well into Abigale's mental health. She wasn't eager to share her subsequent dreams with a stranger but if this was going to be a recurring event then she'd rather have a name to call him.

"You ask too much questions." He repeated the same sentence Abigale said couple minutes ago.

To say that she was starled was the understatement of the century. No, Abigale Saunders was beyond stupefied at the joke he said, intentionally or not. She couldn't believe her ears. Did she hear him right? Should she laugh?

Laughing seemed like a foreign concept to her. Nothing seemed funny to her stone cold heart, not until now.

Before she knew it, a chuckle managed to leave her dry lips.

|•|•|•|

Hello friends! I have 8 OCs, five of which are already introduced, and just wanna say that I'll be choosing who's a major or a minor character when I get 2 more OCs.

Honestly this chapter is hard for me to write, I have no idea how to incorporate these two characters. It was a blessing when a friend of mine gave me this idea.


	4. Eriopis and Prince Theseus

**Second Chances**

 **Summary: The famous before aren't so famous now. Those heroes you adore and those bad guys you hate are given a second chance. Congratulations Adonis! You're alive!**

|•|•|•|

 _Asphodel tasted bitter in her mouth yet she could not cease devouring its chalk-white petals, as if ecstacy, the substance it has made Eriopis consume more. Want more. And taste more._

|•|•|•|

'How did I end up like this?' Marie wondered while trying her damnest to keep her dinner in its rightful place. The twine gripping her slim figure was held firmly and Marie considered it a miracle she could even breathe. Ares' children were not known for being lenient in any way possible. Her form hang upside down by the tree, swayed side to side only when a strong gust of wind flew towards her and Marie struggled with the strain of her arms, as she held on the knife - her only way out of this trap.

Oh how she wanted to spat curses on those cruel demigods! They might be the muscles of the Red team but only a naive person will not acknowledge their skills in combat and it unfortunately, while not up to par with Athena's children, includes traps strategically placed in locations a half-blood like her would fall for.

"I kinda need a little help here!" Marie asked, her volume loud enough to her team's attention. After all victory went to the Red. The fight was already finished and there were no reasons for the Blue to linger around aside from picking their unlucky comrades up.

"Anyone? Alice?"

She cursed, enduring the pain of pushing and pulling the knife against the rope.

|•|•|•|

Friday came and the most dreaded afternoon caught on an unsuspecting demigod.

The daughter of Hecate groaned, despair rolling off her like waves as she marched into a shelter built on rough logs. It was decided that team meeting will take place at Hermes' cabin, the only spot safe from the prying eyes on Athena's children and from the abnormally sensitive ears of Aphrodite's offspring. Those two cabins were bad enough, but the sudden addition of Cabin number Five, announced just yesterday, gave the other cabins a chance from half to nothing.

Upon entering, Marie immediately searched for a familiar face despite the surrounding atmosphere of armoured, battle-ready demigods panicking even further as their leaders squabble. Their disagreements were astounding.

'It's just a game.' She thought, mildly irritated at the sight of arguments. A map of the forest was spread haphazardly on a table with little red and blue figurines decorating the landscape. The rest watched and waited for the verdict. Some appeared to be annoyed at where this meeting was heading while others varied from concerned to composed.

"I told you Corina will want their flag near Zeus' fist!" Steve roared, his face red from the intensity of his anger.

"That pile of rocks?" Frances retaliated with her own exasperated tone. "What's so smart in hiding their _bright_ red flag atop of that formation? They'll want to put it in somewhere else!"

"Regardless of the flag's whereabouts we need to plan to how outsmart Mar's siblings!" Another counsellor piped in, she was one of those Marie wasn't familiar with.

"Yeah! Corina will let Ares' kids to roughhouse each and everyone of us."

"If it weren't for _someone_!"

"I'm not particularly fond bodily beatings."

Shouts after shouts were thrown aimlessly, each campers wanting to voice their opinions but none of the counsellors would listen - too engrossed with heated verbal assaults amongst themselves. Marie's ears tingled at the noise and the tension present on her shoulders since the sun woke her up. It crawled up to her brain to be a pounding headache. To her immense misery, it followed her heart's rhythmical throbbing of two beats each second, wasted just on this team's clamor.

It wouldn't have been this way if Chiron stuck to the groupings he made last week.

Also, this unnecessary commotion wouldn't have occured if it weren't that boy's presence, not to mention his hobbies.

Marie found herself fixing her green eyes on his exotic figure, observing the aura that weeps in sorrow. It shrouded him the most but extended to everyone else.

As of current, those who remained silent - those opting to let their friends settle the argument looked trampled with their furrowed eyebrows, uneasy posture and clammy, sweaty hands. Even Marie felt as if the situation would swallow her whole when the overwhelming sounds reverberated in on one ear, out on the other.

It was too late when she began to realize that everyone including herself fell to the hopeless for the upcoming battle.

The Blue had no plans. They lack collaboration. Their leaders shared mutual hatred for one another. They were weak and they all will end up bedridden for the succeeding weeks.

'All for what?' Her mind supplied amidst the distraction, 'It's just a _game_!" She exclaimed, emphasizing the word again and again, just for the sake of herself, covering her ears and wishing for _this_ , whatever this crippling worry was to stop.

"Quiet down!" Alice bellowed at the top of her lungs.

The helmet Alice wore made her look unrecognizable but to Marie it was like she strained her throat. Thought that was beyond the point.

"Shut up! The fight will be in half an hour and we haven't got a good strategy yet! And what are we doing? Driving ourselves mad!" Her well-polished nails pointed at the five counsellors stupified at the interruption, "You call yourselves councellors? We'll be an embarrassment to the whole camp if you don't stop fighting like children!" She ended her rant with a sniff to a hushed crowd.

Like a glass shattered by a stronger force, the spell lifted and the campers started to relax.

Marie took note of the disappearance of an invisible burden weighing her down. Her headache dimmed to a somewhat tolerable level and she was quite glad at the development - calm and sensible enough that it felt like a breath of fresh air to the pollution awhile ago.

Steve sighed heavily, exhaling in an exaggerated huff. He ran his hands through his hair and said, "Nevermind where their flag is." He appeared more stressed than anyone else in this room and Marie could not help but pity her counsellor. With him leading the whole Hermes cabin, home of the rowdiest bunch, and enduring Frances spoiled rotten attitude it was not a surprise to see him so aged. "I'd say we'll put the best fighters we have in guarding our flag."

"What of the rest?" A demigod, who Marie can't catch a glimpse of, questioned.

"Hold on." Victoria piped up, expressing her concern for those who weren't well-acquainted playing in the battlefield. "Who's going to face Ares' demigods? We obviously can't we're long ranged fighters."

"Your arrows will do us good if you and your siblings would be in a high position." Frances muttered in deep thought, "Preferably in a hill."

Steve immediately brightened up, his hand going for the blue miniature flag standing at the corner of the map just to reposition it on the center.

"Let the Apollo cabin handle guarding the flag. They can defend as well attack in high places."

Everybody listened in interest including Marie, who was not looking forward for the conch horn blowing off.

"And have the opposition struggle climbing up!"

Victoria perked up, smiling wide at where she stood, "I have arrows that blinds people."

Frances nodded, "We can have runners go for the flag."

"And our best fighters to-"

The counsellors exchange of strategies were suddenly called off when a meek voice interjected, "Um-uh, I hate break it you but Capture the Flag starts in - in ten minutes?"

|•|•|•|

Marie sprinted with Alice keeping up at her side. The daughter of Dionysus was among the campers who she get to spend a childhood with seeing as they both arrived at the same age of eleven. Since then, Marie considered the other a friend, so when Alice went to her saying 'fight with me' she immediately agreed.

The terrain the two trespassed had rocks hidden amongst the thick green moss. If a person slid, it will be an unfavorable circumstance, thus she and her partner run with a caution so to prevent any injuries.

Her ears caught the sounds of metal clashing over metal - the beginnings of war - but paid it no heed, continuing on with their mission.

' _Go get the flag.' Frances ordered the seven of them, dubbed as runners for tonight's game._

The daughter of Demeter gave them one command, and that was to intercept the Red at where they kept the flag.

So it was reasonable for Marie and Alice to ignore the enemy, hacking at the fern.

"I got this!" Someone shouted from behind, it was Steve.

Years of training taught her to think fast. Their ADHD got them through a lot of trouble but in camp it was their aid in survival. So when her instincts screamed to stop and duck, Marie grabbed Alice's arm and crouched down.

Her ears felt the wind as a dagger speed past in between them. She hadn't got the time to see if it hit a target, "Keep running!" Steve coerced, unsheating his celestial bronze broadsword.

Alice lead Marie into the trees, running as fast as their legs could. The height provided them an advantage of being unseen knowing her friend would prefer to stray away from the battle.

Silence greeted them. Only their feet stepping on dried leaves that littered the ground created a noise, and a couple minutes had passed when Marie decided to break the quietness.

"You sure-" Marie panted, "-Corina kept the flag there?"

"Don't know. But it's the only lead we got." Alice replied as she wiped the sweat off her face. "Ian sure is a talkative drunk." Her friend added, a smirk adorned her face as if she was remembering yesterday.

Marie rolled her eyes. "He could have been tricked though."

"Maybe. But it's better than running blind."

A quick 'twang' alerted the girls and Alice leaped to the side.

The trap rose to reveal a muddied twine decorated by grasses that stuck on its surface.

Under it was Marie's foot.

Perhaps it was luck she failed to inherit, or it must've been simply her nonexistent talent at escaping because the rope caught her.

She let out an defeaning scream as her body left the earth she was on, going higher and higher.

"Marie!" She heard but it did not register as she tried to catch her breathe.

The experience had her insides shaken, arms limp, wide eyed and pale faced.

A tiny figure stared up at her. It was Alice, her long curls of blonde hair brought color to the dull greens and browns of the forest.

"Marie!" Alice repeated, growing more and more worried as seconds passed by.

She groaned. Not liking her situation in one bit. In fact Marie would trade to be anywhere just not dangling and cocooned like a developing caterpillar.

It was have been amusing if she got out of this trap as a butterfly, but no.

"I can handle myself Alice." Marie tried to reassure her friend, weakly, while counting the seconds remaining before she threw up her dinner. "Steve's counting on us so go get the flag!"

Alice, with her face down in worry, heard what Marie said. Clearly but hated the thought of leaving her behind.

"No!" Marie abruptly halted the idea forming inside Alice's mind, she knew her friend well. "No Alice. Just go!"

The other girl looked like she wanted to stomp her foot but held herself instead. She carried the same picture as the girl who stood tall, arms crossed and carried a glare that pacified the whole mess they called a meeting.

"I'll be back okay?" She said throwing an angry glance at Marie before moving forward.

|•|•|•|

" _All hail Theseus! Son of the Sea God. Prince of Athens." The oracle of Delphi exclaimed, "Let his bones rest on this sacred land, for one day our prince will stand again."_

" _Anastases!"_

|•|•|•|

Little Fingers.

It was the place the Red team had their flag stationed in its blazing glory. An area covered with dead grass, and the only decorative it had were the tiny, slender, pointed stones arranged in perfect circle. All in all, Little Fingers was not the most ideal to conceal their treasures - there were simply no cover to take.

Eisuke hid behind a fallen log that had suffered through the ages. Its distinct smell mixed with rain water would have calmed everyone around the vicinity, had it not been for the game. However it was not an excuse to be complacent. He knew this well and so thus Cabin Five and Six's counsellor - Mar and Corina.

The girl, watched the area with a critical eye. Her grey stormy gaze glowered at the littlest thing that moved as if the grass dancing in rhythm offended her being. She, along with Mar, were the model soldiers...

...soldiers who were tasked to babysit an overgrown man.

Eisuke analyzed the unknown male trying his darnest to pull a fang-like stone half buried in the ground. Blonde hair as bright as the sun, unscarred tanned skin and a face bearing the most aristocratic figure. He must've been a newbie if he acted with childish wonder when he couldn't pick up the rock.

"Ian. Prepare yourself." Corina's rough voice rang as she gathered her shield and sword. Tense yet confident. The child of Athena stood before the log Eisuke hid under.

He shook his head. Hiding was already useless when the enemy felt him nearby. So he threw all pretenses aside and drew out his katana. His lean figure offered him the much need speed against opponents who were muscular in stature.

His dark eyes zeroed on the novice. The weakest link among the three. The obvious choice to start with an attack and Ian must have sensed his thoughts because of the evident fear paralyzing him in place even when his partners went to apprehend him.

With a boost in power, Eisuke leaped forward running to his prey.

His eyes caught Mar flinging his shield - a circular bronze one with snake embellishments, to his direction.

It glided in-line with the ground before colliding on the earth just as Eisuke stopped, abruptly.

Dirt and rocks exploded on his face and as he begun to regain his balance, Corina swung her sword at him.

Eisuke then had no choice but to dodge despite losing his momentum again.

Thankfully, his cheeks were a hair's breadth away from contact.

However, it seemed like his lucky streak run out.

A scream tore through the air when a sudden pain blossomed on his back. He cried, unknowingly when Mar managed to wound him. The latter laughed, a sound that did not reach Eisuke's ears as he focused on standing.

Ares' son lifted his own sword - a long double edged weapon and brought it in a downward arch.

"It's payback you little shit!"

The nerves on his thigh burn, yet Eisuke forced his hands to stop the blade barehanded, saving himself from being cut in half.

His moment was short-lived, never having the chance to fight for dominance when Corina snatched his helmet and delivered a hard kick to his temple.

Everything went black for a few seconds. It was so sudden that Eisuke hadn't got the time to realize his side resting on grasses - even the static ringing and stars appearing in his vision.

'Add a concussion to my list of injuries.' He mentally complained.

Large hands gripped his hair, losing his train of thought. Mar gave Eisuke no time to recover as he forced him to his knees. The laughter decreased into a light chuckle and his head was pulled quite harshly to face their flag.

Victory was almost at Eisuke's hand. He would have brought his team great joy, but with his leg muscles ruined victory seemed to be bleak on Blue's side.

Cold metal touched the skin of his neck and he remembered Corina's presence.

"This is the price for the pride of yours."

The two counsellors had Eisuke cornered, any movement even the tiniest one could inflict permanent damage.

Idly, he mused, 'The Red were abnormally crazy tonight.'

A growl reached him, "D'you know how many times I wanted to wound you, you little vermin?"

Eisuke did not answer, opting to remain silent only wincing at the sudden bellow of anger.

The grip tightened and Mar dug his nails intentionally so as draw blood. "Since that day when you think we're guinea pigs!"

"We didn't appreciate being test subjects! Especially when my sibling almost lost her life-" Mar explained, his voice changed into an irritating mock falsetto, "-because _I wanted to try out a new poison._ "

"Well shit Cadilac! Guess who wanted to try out a new weapon?" The son of Ares asked, his fiery brown eyes glared at Eisuke's with fervor. For a moment, he wondered where Mar's new weapon was when suddenly he was tasting soil.

Eisuke hadn't yet recovered from the earlier injuries. But it seemed that the two wanted to inflict as much pain as they can.

His head was pulled back from the ground. His nose leaking blood that left dark red stains on the withered foliage.

The blood on his throat made him cough, bending over to spit it out. But Mar prevented Eisuke that chance. His head once again met the ground. His nose finally broke from the strain.

He could imagine Marvin Miller with an ear-to-ear grin and Corina Ray mirroring his, but subdued.

This was no longer a game.

Eisuke wondered where Chiron was because his job as a referee required to monitor deaths to a minimum.

Because he now understood that his actions brought war to himself. Sad thing was, it extended to his cabin mates.

Reality sunk in despite his head being bashed for the third time.

The anxiety he felt during the meeting... the looks he received every now and then... the withdrawal of his sparing partners...

His teeth bit on his tongue as to prevent screams from escaping because there was no way in hell he'd give Mar the satisfaction. The only reason Eisuke would open his mouth was to spat red-coated saliva at the foot of his tormentor - that is if he could, because Mar seemed to have no plans other than beating his head into a pulp.

Vaguely, he heard a distant growl, "Stop it!"

"Stop this Marvin!"

For all the cowardice the blond showed earlier, he sure had guts ordering a child of Ares - one of which was currently releasing pent up anger on Eisuke.

'Save your heroism for someone else.' His mental commiseration for Ian surprised him. He had been expecting Mar to divert his attenton.

However, the unexpected happened. Mar froze in his tracts, unmoving and silent. Eisuke was still as well, too exhausted to fight so he remained at where he was - face close to the ground, nose almost touching the soil that he could already smell it: moist, gravelly and metallic.

With the uncomfortable position he was in, Eisuke could not see what was happening. Half of him felt relieved. The other was concerned for the simple fact that Mar followed a novice like Ian.

And it was a known fact that the Ares' children don't follow anyone who they deemed below their standards.

"You can let him go now Ian." He heard Corina. Her tone, unthreatening as if she was trying to calm a terrified puppy. Mar's shoes obsured his front making it unable for him to view the blonde demigod who seemed to be the source of this strange episode. He couldn't put an explanation to it but only a child of Aphrodite had the power to manipulate a person.

'Charmspeak.' He marvelled at the thought, 'No way.'

"No." Came a defiant voice, "I won't until I'm sure Mar wouldn't kill the guy. Or me."

Eisuke would have given Ian a smirk for adding himself to safety if it weren't for his face growing numb. The demigod sure prove to the three that with only his voice alone can halt half-bloods out for his head.

A moment later, Mar unfroze. The weight atop his skull, the hand gripping his hair vanished and at the corner of his eyes, Eisuke saw Mar shuffle gradually away from his prone form.

But before he could move a muscle, Corina was on his back. His breathe left him the moment she pushed him forward, aggression present in her action as she snapped something cold around his arms. Eisuke took note of how tight it wrapped his limbs and prepared for the worst to come.

Corina inched closer to him, enough for Eisuke to detect her shadow even in moonlight.

"You're safe for now." was Corina's threat, hastily whispered.

|•|•|•|

 **Hello friends! Happy Holidays! I hoped you like this chapter because I was not satisfied with the fight scene hence the late upload *cries***

 **There are few things I'd like to tell you. (1) The next chapter is already in production. (2) SYOC is still open, still looking for characters so I'm sorry I've decided to not post the major and minor characters today. (3) Characters who I deemed Over-Powered with abilities that doesn't coincide with godly parentage will be ignored (not the character, just the power).**

 **Now that I've said it, thank you for reading guys! Tell me what you think of this story because I'll be adding more conflict! And drama...**

 **Suggestions can be made through PM so as to avoid spoilers.**


	5. Lady Cassandra

**Chapter 5**

 **Second Chances**

 **Summary: The famous before aren't so famous now. Those heroes you adore and those bad guys you hate are given a second chance. Congratulations Adonis! You're alive!**

|•|•|•|

 _Long, lush, caramel tresses styled in an intricate braid reminded Cassandra the complexity of her curse - a curse given to her by the one who claimed to love her. "If you would give me a kiss, I could give you the future."_

|•|•|•|

Her driver hit the brakes a little too hard for Clara's liking.

"Sorry Ma'am." He grunted unapologetically, voice hoarse from smoking cigarettes and Clara fought the urge to sniff in distate.

Instead, she gave a nonchalant reply, "Hey. Just be careful next time."

Her head almost collided with the back of the passenger's seat, cursing. Thankfully no injuries were involved. But, the story she had been watching in mind lost its appeal. Parts and pieces of the daydream she could recall were children at their peak of puberty, fighting to death, equiped with armours made of an unknown metal that may have looked heavy but to the wearer it - they carry it with such skill and grace like a mix of a ballerina and a sword master that it amazed Clara just by their sheer beauty.

Dangerously. Beautiful.

Now Clara wasn't the most athletic among her peers, thus anything physically related such as sports were subjects she tried to actively avoid. No coach could ever coax her into participating. Not if she's there. So it was no surprise that even in dreams, Clara tend to forget those with battles - intentionally or not.

Brown, distant eyes stared through the window. Her forehead leaned against it as rain poured and Clara entered another fantasy - in a land, she prayed, where people were at peace.

 _The same characters she saw beating the opposing side lay asleep inside an infirmary of some sorts. Not an hospital, though since the room stood with only thick logs of dark, oak trees and Clara wondered if such place exists. If it does, then she'd want to visit it someday._

 _A boy of Asian origin had his head bandaged. Clara remembered how his fight ended with barbarians and it was no surprise to see him in coma._

 _On another bed sat a girl whose features remained fair after taking an arrow to her shoulder._

 _They were not the only occupants. Patients slumber with half - if not, with all - their limbs bandaged. Some had black eyes and cuts on their faces who chose to drink apple juice instead as if their injuries were nothing._

 _To be frank, it was rather depressing no wonder the girl had a frown on her beautiful face._

" _A sandwich for a thought?" Clara found her mouth moving on its own, muttering the words with a touch of concern._

 _The girl's eyes left the floor she had been glaring at and landed on Clara's._

" _I don't have the appetite for anything right now Marie." The name sounded unfamiliar to Clara. She didn't met anyone who had that name yet but it seemed that to this fantasy of hers she was called Marie._

" _I'm not leaving until you eat half of this." Clara walked near the girl, setting the tray of chicken sandwich and apple juice beside her legs._

" _Besides. You need your strength Alice."_

 _Alice rolled her eyes, exasperated. "For what? Another capture-the-flag? Another showdown between Ares' cabin and -" she paused, shaking her head, "between them and the rest of us?"_

 _There came a soft sigh from her, "That won't be happening anytime soon." Clara tore the sandwich apart unevenly. One had more lettuce while the other had more chicken. She decided to serve the latter, offering the food at the face of her friend. "Now eat."_

For a brief moment, Clara and Alice had a staring contest through Marie's eyes. Neither seemed to be backing down but she was abruptly pulled back into reality.

The car stopped. The momentum had pushed her body forward that came in contact with the leather coverings of the seat harshly, wincing and fearing for the worst.

"Hey sir! What happened?" The tenderness of her arms would soon bruise, but the safety another person worried Clara more so than hers.

Gently, she craned her head to where her driver was seated, expecting his unconscious body, or worse, head bloodied by window shards.

What shook Clara's foundation was a man glaring at her. It made her heart skip a beat or two as his gaze bore deeply into her soul. His hands that gripped the stirring wheel tightened, producing dents that would have been impossible for human's standards.

The little hairs of her skin stood up, sensing peril when he barked sharp, pointed teeth.

He suddenly screeched as his skin turned rough almost scaly, "Why are you still alive!" The voice was abnormally high, feminine sounding and Clara couldn't not stop the shiver running down her spine.

Dread had frozen her, because none of the events had scared her more than this. There was absolutely nothing in Clara's life that can be compared more than this!

Before her throat decided closed up on her, she found her strength when cold fingers reached for the lock.

The car door flew open and Clara met the storm at her worst.

The ugly screaming of "Come back here" went completely over her head as heavy rain fell down upon her. She bolted past the car, stumbling into the wet, slippery streets of New York.

Maybe it was a special kind of idiocy for leaving her most important belongings behind but Clara did not care. She simply couldn't bring herself to think of her homeworks, money, phone and the strangers she pushed aside when danger blared before Clara like flashing red lights of an ambulance.

Her skinny legs carried her into the maze of alleyways, running like crazy and out of breath. The thumping of her heart somewhat helped Clara focused on losing her assailant, _she didn't dare to look back afraid only to see him right behind with his meaty arms reaching for her throat. Death due to strangulation was not appealing for a young aspiring woman like Clara. After all, she would rather choose an easy death._

Clara gasped, shaking her head and silently berated herself. This was not the time for daydreams but exhaustion caught her faster than the man. Her legs weighted like sack of groceries. As seconds went by, the slower Clara got. And nothing offered more terror than her body giving up on its own.

 _To her right were large bins, filled to brim with piles of trash. Its smell blended with rain water was a stench that'll certainly cling to clothes. Opposite to it, a portable escape ladder hang attached only by the lone window of a building._

Her frantic run slowed down into brisk walk as lactic acid built up.

The air she breathed in failed to gather enough oxygen for her poor lungs and Clara despaired the moment her body would shut down, unable to escape the torment and incapable to protect herself.

Despite the exhaustion, she found an eerily familiar alley - a window that has a red ladder hanging innocently by its window sill - where shouts and bottles breaking were heard. And Clara, for a short moment stopped to wonder 'What's going on in there?'.

"Where are you!" The harsh, piercing cry broke her thoughts away and panic once again consumed her enough to feed energy into her worn out muscles.

"Show yourself you coward!"

For a split second, Clara had an insane idea. With her current situation there was no way she could out run the man with her shaky legs and sore feet. No help would come to her if she decided to climb the ladder and enter a room if the sounds of pain were any indication...

So without any choices left, hiding seemed to be Clara's only key to escape.

Gulping away her tiredness, her hands dugged the wastes to the sides, making room for her lithe figure while keeping her disgust for another time as Clara hoped that the man would be dumb not to look for her in this diaper filled garbage.

|•|•|•|

Police surrounded the whole apartment. Their guns intimidated people in the near vicinity that it was only logical to maintain a respectable distance with them. Their feet thundered down the halls as they head straight for a certain room.

An ear-splitting noise was heard before a man cursed loudly.

One officer shook his head, expression unreadable. Another, a smaller one stepped aside giving space for their tallest, heavy-built member.

No questions were asked, no words were shared between the team but the gesture signalled him to kick the door open.

And he did.

Its hinges loosened, splinters of wood flew and the people inside jumped at the sudden interruption.

"Police!" He said, pointing the gun at the young man who had far too many scars for his age - a possible victim, the police concluded. He then moved his aim to the elderly.

"Drop the weapon madam!"

The person addressed smiled as if she wasn't about to murder someone. Her toothy grin looked sickly and was directed at the men piling at the door, pointing guns at her. "Such disrespect! You wouldn't hurt an old lady would you darlings?"

"The law gives us the ability to use force. So put the knife down." Came from the officer.

Disappointment then painted her features. The wrinkles deeped, making the lady look older and uglier. Her hand holding the knife lowered until it was dropped on the floor with a resounding 'clang'.

The face of the same police who destroyed the door morphed into one of horror. "What the-" He muttered, too silent to be heard, mouth agape as the sight before him turned into a nightmare.

Her neck bent horizontally, cracking in a painful manner. In fact it should have killed any person but her body kept contorting, twisting.

A hump behind her shoulder started to form and an ungodly sound was wailed before wings of blood red color burgeoned.

"Di immortales!" The young man hissed under a curse all while ignoring the monster's shouts of "Half-blood!" as he went for cover.

It seemed to have an effect for the officers. One of them came out of stupor, pulling off the trigger.

BANG!

BANG!

Shots started to fire in succession as the police went on offense, however their efforts were in vain. While they might not be able to see clearly, the demigod who was unaffected by the mist saw how bullets passed through the monster as if she was a mere mirage.

With her bat-like wings, the harpy flew. Strong gusts of wind swept their hairs in an attempt to scatter those who she deemed unimportant: the mortals as well as the imperial gold knife - the demigod saw it and dived for the only weapon available.

His movements unfortunately caught the monster's attention, gripping the knife tightly that his knuckles turned pale when soulless smug eyes stared at him.

He had no idea what the officers saw at this moment but as she head towards him, bringing her longs talons in a downward arc the demigod had crouched low and rolled in a poor attempt in evading.

As he lay tense while the harpy shrieked murderously, the knife on his hands parried yet another claw - its blade met the harpies' hooked appendages.

"No way to escape half-blood!" She sneered, the mouth she called beak twisted into a grin as she placed another limb atop the knife, balancing its huge body on the weapon as if it was a twig to nestle on.

"My lord would be so pleased to see you back in the fields!"

The demigod had no idea what the harpy was talking about. He had suspected Hades but monsters target all demigods regardless of parentage.

"'Tis time I send you to punishment, daaarling."

|•|•|•|

Her muscles burned like molten lead. Hot, poisonous liquid run in her veins as Clara forced herself to remain calm despite the breathlessness. She had to put her hands over her lips, firmly, to avoid further whimpers from escaping and to set herself within the realms of reality once more.

'Not real! Not real!' Within the confines of her head, Clara repeated the sentence.

The moment she had her eyes shut, just after entering the bin, a picture so grotesque appeared on her mind that bile and stomach acid moved along her esophagus. She almost threw up if it weren't for the gun shots she heard above. The man who chased her sounded like he stopped shortly, no splashing for feet against the wet paved was overheard but the bellowing drunken laughter echoed throughout the alley.

His rhythmical 'HA HA HA's and the scene - _a jaw that was pulled by a bird until it unhinged from its joint, a man screaming as his mouth was torn apart; muscles, tongue and throat soon followed and_ -

Clara shook herself hard. 'That was nothing.' She concluded but her glassy brown eyes told otherwise.

"Ah! Half-bloods dropping like flies!" The man chuckled, he had begun searching the whole area as if he knew Clara was near. "I wonder where my prey is?"

A single tear fell past her cheeks when Clara gathered the shuffling noises of feet.

"Is she..."

It was close and her heart once again skipped a beat, anticipating for the reveal. If another episode were to happen, she'd more likely die from a heart attack than be murdered by a lunatic. But whichever occurs first, Clara _hoped_ that it won't be today.

"In here!"

|•|•|•|

"In here!" Ascalabus grabbed the nearest plastic bag on top of the smelly, rotten pile of wastes and lifted it.

The great force he put on the garbage had it flying over his head and on to the heavily vandalized wall only to land on the pavement with a 'splat' similiar his expectations.

He assumed he'd find the demigod hiding under the trash like she and the gods were but the lack of scent indicated her to be lone gone.

He should have known.

Ascalabus was sooo close yet another one slithered past through his fingers so with a grumble about his misery and a curse about Celaeno's fortune, he went off.

|•|•|•|

 **Happy New Year friends! Hurrah!**

 **Today I'll be announcing the major characters! They'll be few so I have more chances to work on POVs because honestly I can't handle that many. But! That doesn't mean I'll neglect minor characters, they too will have a spotlight to shine on. Plus! Every after author's note, I will be adding a short drabble that might or might not be related to the story but still with the same OCs. So suggest a scene you'd like to see.**

 **Also, SYOC is closed. Those who PM'ed me before this chapter is posted can still submit their OC.**

 **Now for the grand event!**

 **Major:**

 **(1) Clara Howell**

 **(2) Timothy Dixon**

 **(3) Ian Perez**

 **Minor:**

 **(1) Marie Leclerc**

 **(2) Kyle Ferrer**

 **(3) Eisuke Cadilac**

 **(4) Gale Saunders**

 **(5) Alice Douglas**

 **(6) Thomas Nightwood**

 **(7) Marcus Esposito**

|•|•|•|

In a cautious yet delicate manner, Ian grabbed the tab and pushed the lid back into the can.

A small 'pop' caused the cola can to fizz up as froth started to form.

Ian then wasted no time bringing the can to his lips, closing his eyes while taking a subtle sip.

After a while...

"Ah! Refreshing!" He exclaimed, beaming at his audience with that huge smile plastered on his face.

"So what do you think?"

"Bullshit." was a fellow camper's only opinion. She sat opposite Alice's infirmary bed and almost had the full view of his act.

Marie on the other hand, snorted, trying to compose herself from laughing since Alice decided to direct her nastiest glare at Gale and her.

The daughter of Dionysus couldn't blame Marie though, Ian looked ridiculously cute.

"You'll pay me millions when I endorse Coca-Cola someday."


End file.
